


CoWF-DISCONTINUED/REWRITE

by Anselion



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, M/M, No Uchiha Massacre, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smart Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 14:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21120599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anselion/pseuds/Anselion
Summary: He could taste the fire, the biting ash and char, salty and grainy in every possible way. His brows skewed down, furrowing together with a grimace - repulsive. Smoke filled the air, leaving nothing but the biting stench that clogged his nose and nearly had him gagging. He hated fire, he decided.





	1. Hate

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all and thanks for checking out The Chronicles of Wind and Fire, which is also posted on Fan Fiction.net -- CoWF follows the early years of Naruto and how I feel the series should have gone. so much just never made sense to me, so this is me correcting those things in my own way. This is a rewrite of the series I began a few years back that I lost interest in and couldnt figure out how I wanted the series to progress. But, thankfully the interest ended up coming back so here we are!
> 
> This will be a m/m fic, with the couples most likely being Shika/Naru. The Uchiha Clan Massacre never happened either, so much of this story will not be canon or even follow the Anime/Manga.
> 
> As always, please read and review! Your input, suggestions, and constructive criticism help me as a writer grow!

“In time we hate that which we often fear.”

\- William Shakespeare

It was cold, that was the first thing that filtered through the dull haze of pain. The air was crisp, slicing through the tattered shirt that barely covered him, the sleeves too tight and hem too short, pushing the chill into his very bones. The birds still slumbered in their nests, the owls and bats only just beginning to slip back into their own hollows and caves, the last tendrils of darkness following them back to make way for the first rays of the sun. Silence, a certain calmness, was still settled over the village when the outraged screams of "Thief, thief" finally brought sleepy heads poking out of windows and doors to see what the day had in store.

Sleepy curiosity made way to disgusted scowls and narrowed eyes, the figure of the muddy boy staggering and stumbling by them, a loaf of blackened bread held tight to his chest. Blue eyes were blown wide in terror, bare feet smacking the cobelstone paths frantically, a robust man with a balding head hot on his trail. The aging man's belly jiggled with each lumbering step, his face red from a mixture of anger and exertion, a massive butcher's knife clutched tight in his flour covered fingers -- he had snagged the blade from the Butcher next door when he had seen those blonde spikes raising from the trash bin, the loaf clutched in the child's grimy hands.

The baker chased the boy from street to street, never more than a stride behind the child. They were both growing tired when a flash if silver snatched the boy mid step; the baker slid to a hault, blade still poised to strike down at the child, staring blankly at the spot the child had been just moments before. The man searched the rapidly filling streets before landing on the half masked Shinobi stood above him, crouched on a roof with the boy held loose under one arm. The husky man lowered the knife and took a step back, and then another and another.

The silver haired man watched as the baker grew smaller and smaller until he was lost around a corner and the masked ninja turned his head down to the tense form clutched beneath his arm. "Maa," a lazily drawl had his head turning from the hszardous blond spikes that had nearly stabbed his eye through the mask, "you found him first then." The words ere followed with a soft 'tch,' bored eyes turning from them. "This is the fifth time this week, Kakashi," the man continued, "it's only Wednesday." Neither of them needed to consider the odds of what would happen if they left the boy to go on his way.

"I know," the masked man sighed, shifting his hold on the boy to something slightly more comfortable, "but there is nothing that we can do about it." And oh how he had wanted to do something, oh how he wanted to throttle each villager who lifted their hands to the child. By then the boy had begun to squirm and shift in his hold, scowling and growling, which really did nothing to help him avoid looking like a feral beast. "I suppose I should go report to the Sandaime," he chirped, holding the flailing child out to the lazy man. The two adults stared at one another before the raven haired Shinobi barked a laugh and turned on his heels, and leapt into the now swarming streets. The shinobi heaved a sigh, pulling the boy back to him, holding him now by the back of his ratty shirt. "Stop squirming, I'm not gonna hurt you," he huffed, "We're going to see the Hokage." He leaped from the roof, sprinting from roof to roof, heading for the tower in the center of the village.

"Jiji!" The boy cried the minute Kakashi slid through the large window across the room from an aging man, puffing lazily on a long pipe. "Jiji, tell this geezer to put me down!" The man chuckled and with a tip of his head, Kakashi lowered the boy to the ground. The whisker faced boy turned swiftly, tiny foot dwinging out and slamming into Kakashi's shin, and though the Shinobi knew that the kick hurt the boy more than him, the boy turned and launched himself across the room to fling himself at the Hokage. "Jiji, I didn't do nothin'! Whatever the geezer tells ya, I didn't do it!" Had Kakashi not been the one to swoop in and scoop the boy up, he might have even relented and agreed the boy did nothing, if only because of the eyes he could see the boy making at the Hokage, who merely chuckled at the boy, running a wrinkled hand through those golden spikes.

"And what, Kakashi, did Naruto not do?" He could hesr the fond amusement in the man's voice, hidden beneath the exhaustion that came with worry and hoarseness that came from years of smoking on that pipe.

"He stole a loaf of bread from the Baker, the man was chasing him across the village when Shikaku and I caught up to them," came the monotonous reply, and the old man gave a grave nod of his head.

He looked over the dirtied, shredded state of the boy’s clothes, at the smattering of bruises across the exposed sun-kissed skin and the cuts and scrapes across his palms and knees. “Why did you steal a loaf of bread, Naruto? You know better,”

the old man chided the boy.

“It wasn’t my fault! I was hungry, and he threw it out anyways! Not like he’d miss a burnt loaf

he’d thrown in the trash. The Orphanage didn’t feed me nothin’. They said I didn’t deserve no

food, bein’ a monster and all. Ne, Old Man, why do they keep callin’ me a monster?” Both of the

boy’s elders flinched at the words, cringing at the knowledge the boy had to go ‘dumpster-diving’ for his meal, and at the inquiry of the rotten name. Neither man spoke, glancing at one another, searching for a good answer. With the opening of the door, however, the two men were saved. “Big Brother!” The child exclaimed, charging away from the desk and into the awaiting arms of a bear of a man, rubbing his whiskered cheeks against the scratchy stubble of the other's.

Asuma Sarutobi could never be called a tender man, or at least that is what Kakashi had once thought, but watching as the brute caught the boy, watching the kind smile and the way dark eyes softened, Kakashi couldnt think of any other word to describe his as. The Jounin held the babbling six year old, unbothered by the legs tightened around his torso or the cheek rubbing against his, ignoring the dirt that flaked from the boy's body and onto his own pristine one. "Naru-chan," the man greeted with a rumble of a chuckle, massive hand rubbing the boy's back affectionately. "I thought this is where you'd be. Are you hurt?" Kakashi watched as those arms tightened sround the boy protectively, only loosening when Naruto shook his head in denial.

“You’re the one who found him, Kakashi?” Asuma inquired, still holding the child. At the nod he sighed and leaned his cheek against the blonde hair. “What happened?” Naruto shrugged his tiny shoulders.

“Naruto stole a loaf of bread from the Baker. He said the orphanage hasn’t fed him, and he was hungry.” The hokage spoke to his son, knowing the bond between the man and child was strong. Asuma’s hold tightened around his proclaimed ‘little brother,’ his jaw clenching in barely contained rage.

The man continued to rub small circles on the boy’s back. “Shikaku came and found me, told me what happened. I’m going to take him to get something to eat, then have a chat with the Care-takers,” Asuma sneered, but a raised hand of his father made him pause a moment, confusion clear on his face.

"This has gone on long enough," the Sandaime sighed, dark eyes flittering from the two Shinobi before lading on the frail boy. "Naruto needs a home, but we all know he won't be adopted. Jiraiya is too focused on tracking Orichimaru and continuing his "research," it had made him unable to act on his duties as Godfather. After much deliberation, the Council has permitted me to assign him a suitable guardian." The elder Sarutobi visibly flinched at the hopeful look that crossed his son's face. "I tried, Asuma, but the council will not allow the Sarutobi Clan to take the Jinchuuriki child in. Danko's sway over the Council is just too strong. However," those dark eyes turned from his son to Kakashi, "the council believes you, Hatake Kakashi, woulr be a suitable placement.

“Sir,” Kakashi began, astonished by the old man’s words. “An Anbu is no more fit to care for a child than a researching Sannin!”

“From today on, you will take a step back from your Anbu duties. Whenever you are needed, Naruto will be placed with another Jounin. He needs you, Kakashi." It was a low blow, suckering Kakashi in as he was.

Asuma had been quiet for the entirety of the conversation, his arms ensnaring the half-asleep boy. “Why,” he finally snapped. “Naruto is more connected with us, with me, than he is with Hatake! Why is the council okay with Naruto staying with him, instead of us.” He was letting his emotions control him, but the thought of having to send Naruto to live with a stranger was infuriating. The knowledge that Naruto couldn’t stay with him was devastating.

The Sandaime understood his son’s grief, as he’d very much wanted the child to reside within their household as well -- but he’d been overruled by the Council. By Danzo. “You know Kakashi will take good care of him, Asuma.” the man scolded softly. “From this day forth, Kakashi Hatake is the guardian of Naruto Uzumaki.” And that was final.


	2. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all and thanks for checking out The Chronicles of Wind and Fire! CoWF follows the early years of Naruto and how I feel the series should have gone. so much just never made sense to me, so this is me correcting those things in my own way. This is a rewrite of the series I began a few years back that I lost interest in and couldnt figure out how I wanted the series to progress. But, thankfully the interest ended up coming back so here we are!
> 
> This will be a m/m fic, with the couples most likely being Shika/Naru. The Uchiha Clan Massacre never happened either, so much of this story will not be canon or even follow the Anime/Manga.
> 
> As always, please read and review! Your input, suggestions, and constructive criticism help me as a writer grow!

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”  
\- Franklin D. Roosevelt

The moon hung low, dim rays lighting the worn cobblestone path to his home. Scattered points of golden spikes peeked out from beneath a plush orange blanket, the frail six year old bundled within and carried within the confines of Kakashi's arms. The day had been long and grueling for the both of them, filled with court hearings and troublesome Councilmen -- Kakashi was looking forward to sinking into bed and sleeping until well past dawn. The Sandaime had fought long and hard to push the meetings along, gathering several of his comrades to speak on his behalf, to prove his ability of handling the young boy clutched in his arms. The silver-haired man still wasn't sure he could care for the child, but as Gai and Kurenai and Genma and Tsume and Shikaku -- even Anko and Asuma and Itachi had stood to testify on his ability -- he knew he wouldn't be alone should he need help. 

In the end, not even the Council could deny the Hokage though, and Guardianship of Naruto had been transfered to a weary Kakashi. With the success of the day behind them, Kakashi had been left to collect Naruto from the Sarutobi estate. At first, the boy had been hesitant, eyeing Kakashi with clear distrust. When Asuma arrived after nearly fifteen minutes of trying to coax the boy from behind one of the Jounin's sister's legs, Naruto had clung to the man so tight his tiny knuckles turned white. He screamed and he sobbed, refusing to let go of his 'Big Brother'. 

It had taken an hour and a half for Naruto to finally calm down and relinquish his hold on the Sarutobi. It had taken a promise of visiting the boy every evening and Asuma swearing Kakashi was a friend and would take good care of him, plus another hour after for Naruto to finally loosen his grip. Asuma had wrapped the child in the offensively orange blanket, bundled up and rocked carefully until those blue eyes slid shut, and then carefully transfered the bundle to Kakashi's arms. 

"He likes foxes," Asuma muttered, standing at the entrance with Kakashi. "I went to collect his things, but the Orphanage said he didn't have anything," Kakashi had a feeling that was a lie, and he knew Asuma agreed, "tomorrow you will have to go and get him some stuff. He doesn't like sleeping alone, but I know you have a spare bedroom. Set his stuff in there, but let him sleep with you for a few nights. He won't trust you yet, so just surround him with your scent." He watched Asuma scratch his cheek, but couldn't tell if it was fruatration or embarrassment -- maybe a mix of both. "A shirt or just let him sleep alone in your bed. The fox is sealed, but Naruto runs on animalistic instinct. Smell, touch, sound -- all of these senses are twice what we have, so dont use any strong perfumes or heavy spices in his stuff. He likes the smell of cedar and pine and firewood especially, but anything with a gentle nature scent is gonna be best for him." There was an inhale and Asuma reached out, carefully rearanging the blanket around the slumbering boy's face, hiding his cheeks for when they stepped outside. "And don't let him get too much Orange. Just one thing in orange, and if he tries for more remind him that he can't have Ichiraku if he gets more than the one. He is obsessed with Ramen, so make sure he doesn't just eat that. And don't let him go into a shop alone, make sure he is always close by. The shop-keepers will kick him out or over charge him if he is alone, or worse. So help me, Kakashi, if he gets hurt under your watch I'll --"

"Maa, Asuma, I'll stay with him," Kakashi interjected, balancing the boy carefully in his arms. "I'll keep him safe, I swear." Asuma didn't look like he believed him just yet, but gave a curt nod. Kakashi watched as the man leaned in, tapping his head affectionately to Naruto's, lips brushing the boy's temple before he withdrew completely. "You are welcome anytime, Asuma. I'll even set up one of the spare rooms for you. It'll be okay," Kakashi said again before nodding his head and turning, carrying the boy away from the compound. 

That had been an hour ago. Naruto had woken up halfway through the trek back to the Hatake compound, murmuring a soft "m'hungry," as they passed a small Ramen shop. Kakashi had taken the subtle hint and ducked in with the boy. At first, the old man behind the counter had brightened at the sight of the boy, but then his eyes narrowed skeptically at Kakashi. After three bowls of Miso Ramen, Naruto happily gave thanks to the old man and his daughter and allowed Kakashi to bundle him back into the monstrous orange blanket after paying. 

Though the boy's eyes remained firmly fixed on Kakashi's face, he said nothing, he just watched until finally slipping back to sleep only ten minutes before the arrived at the house. Soft, warm breaths puffed against the else's neck, steam billowing up with each exhale from the chill of the fall air. 

Kakashi toed off his sandals at the threshold before carefully navigating the dark house to his bedroom. He took in the whiskered cheeks and ran a timid hand through the golden tresses as he laid him down on the bed. How no one had even thought to question his resemblance to his father was beyond him -- the child was a spitting image of his father. His heart gave a painful lurch and Kakashi turned his gaze away, moving to his closet to dig through the garments, attempting to find anything that might fit the boy for now. Settling upon one of his long sleeved shirts, Kakashi kneeled by the bed and touched the boys cheek gently. Naruto grunted at the contacted and rolled away, showing his back to the man. Kakashi just chuckled and sat on the bed this time, carding a hand through the boy’s hair. “Naru-chan,” he crooned, massaging the boy’s scalp. The child moaned and swatted at the hand, content to remain asleep. “You can’t sleep in this, Naruto. You need a bath before bed.” The child just grunted and peeked one bleary blue orb open, squinting at his new-found Guardian.

"S'gotta?" He murmured, sitting up with Kakashi's help, tiny fist rubbing at his eyes, willing the sleep away. Kakashi merely nodded and lifted Naruto back into his arms, padding silently into the bathroom, long-sleeved shirt in hand. Naruto eyed the water cautiously, allowing Kakashi to undress him; he poked a finger into the tub, testing the temperature out before looking up at Kakashi with childishly curious orbs. He turned his gaze back to the tub before slowly climbing into it, sinking down so that he was sitting on the bottom of the tub,  
staring at the bubbles filling the ivory appliance.

Kakashi rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and knelt by the tub when the boy made no move to begin cleaning himself and applied a liberal amount of his shampoo to his open palm and moved it towards the child’s head. Naruto squeaked and jerked his head back in alarm, staring at the palm with wild eyes. Kakashi watched curiously as Naruto grabbed his wrist and held it away from him, refusing to allow it any closer.

"Naruto," Kakashi cooed, lowering his hand so his knuckles brushed the top of the water, letting the boy see the contents of his palm, "it's just shampoo." He waited for the boy to settle, the frantic rise and fall of his chest calming to the occasional labored stutter. Those blue eyes remained uncertain before he leaned forward, sniffing at the onyx substance. After another moment's hesitation, be pulled back and released the wrist. 

Naruto remained tense as Kakashi lifted his hand back up, masaging the shampoo into his scalp. “Naruto,” Kakashi chirped, pulling his hand away and rinsed the suds off in the water, “I need you to hold your breath so that I can rinse the soap out of your hair, okay?” With that he moved a hand to the back of the boy’s head and slowly began guiding him back towards the water. Naruto’s gaze grew frantic and he scrambled, water and soap splashing and lurching over the sides of the tub as he struggled to keep himself from going under. Kakashi quickly sat the child up and withdrew his hands, holding them up in a show of backing off. Naruto’s haggard breathing and wide eyes shot of pang of anger through him. He didn’t want to know why the boy was so terrified of the water, of going under it.

“Naruto,” he touched the boy’s shoulder lightly, “Naruto, I won’t hurt you. Do you understand that?” The child said nothing in return but merely watched him, eyes tracking his every move. Kakashi let out a light sigh before looking around the bathroom before settling on a red cup on the sink. He stood and grabbed it before kneeling back by the tub and showed it to the child. “I’m going to rinse your hair, okay Naruto?” Naruto watched as the Shinobi scooped some water into the cup and tracked it as the cup made it’s way to his head. His eyes snapped closed as the water cascaded over him, sputtering as some of the bubbles got in his mouth. Over and over the water cascaded around him until the plug was pulled and the sound of the water gurgling down the drain brought him back from the darkness of closed lids. He blinked impishly up at Kakashi as the man stood with an onyx towel at the ready. Naruto stood and allowed the material to be wrapped around him and watched as Kakashi rubbed him dry. He stepped back into his underwear and held his arms above his head as the man dropped the much too large shirt down over them. The shirt engulfed his tiny frame, pooling at his feet while the sleeves blanketed his arms and drug across the ground. 

Kakashi was very clearly trying not to laugh at the sight of the child, and with a promise of getting Naruto some suitable sleep clothes on the morrow, he lifted the boy and carried him back to the bed, tucking him under the covers before slipping silently out of the room. The copy-cat ninja sat upon his couch and rested his head on the backrest, tension filling his very being. Naruto had been dealt a poor hand -- the child didn’t deserve the treatment he’d been given. He briefly wondered what the boy would have been like without the support and guidance of the Hokage or Sarutobi’s Heir. He cast the thought away just as quickly as it came, deciding he didn’t want to know what the answer could have possibly been.


	3. Anger

“Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.”  
\- Albert Einstein

When the dawn came and the birds began fluttering in their nests, Kakashi yearned to sink back into what had been a most pleasant dream. The soft whimpers coming from beyond his bedroom door denied him that pleasure though. The silver-haired Shinobi had no idea what he was suppose to do. Should he go and check if the child was alright? Of course he wasn't alright though, those whimpers said as much, but what was Kakashi suppose to do about it? 

Briefly, he debated calling for Asuma -- maybe they could figure out some sort of arrangement? Maybe on paper Kakashi could be the legal Guardian but the child resided with the Sarutobi. The pitiful whimpers grew louder and louder, and Kakashi no longer had time to worry about Asuma or his own lack of a paternal instinct. 

He rolled gracefully off the couch and padded quickly down the hall, nudging the door open with his toe; suddenly everything went dark, his face attacked with an ivory pillow. Kakashi held it where it was momentarily, muffling a curse into the feathered item, before allowing it to drop and stepping further into the room. He watched the lump on the bed warily, unsure if the shivering child hiding beneath the sheets would lash out at him again, should he get too close. Cerulean orbs peered up at him from beneath the cocoon of sheets and blankets, thick lips jutted out in a pout outlined by the blanket that covered him from the nose down.

With a sigh, Kakashi inched closer until he lowered himself onto the corner of the bed. "Naruto," he cooed kindly, "did you have a nightmare?" The boy didn't move, just continued to watch the silver haired man, a slight furrow of his golden brows. "Would you like me to call Asuma?" He asked, fighting a smile when once distrustful eyes brightened before they narrowed into sadness. 

"Big Brother has an impor'ant mission t'day," the boy muttered, pout growing more defined. Kakashi couldn't help the small chuckle as he moved closer to the child. 

"Then how about we surprise him for when he gets back, ne Naru-Chan?" He smiled wider at the distrustful scowl. "We'll get you some new clothes and show Asuma that you don't always wear orange, and I'll even treat you to some Ramen when we're done." Kakashi had once heard Kushina as she lectured Minato on how to raise their son; he vividly remembered the "no bribing our child" speech, but looking at his late Sensei's son now, Kakashi figured some exceptions could be made if it meant the boy would begin to trust him. 

Naruto chewed on his thumb thoughtfully before finally nodding his head, "alright, but only for Big Brother and Ramen." Kakashi nodded in agreeance and stood back up, holding a hand out to Naruto who readily allowed himself to finally be pulled up. The Shinobi left the room momentarily before returning with a small bundle of clothes. 

"These were mine, when I was your age," he told the curious boy as he helped him dress, fixing the still slightly too big clothes around the boy's scrawny frame. He settled Naruto at the table, handing the boy a banana to eat before they left before leaving to get ready himself. 

"Ne, Kashi?" The boy's voice broke through his thoughts and he turnes his head down to look at the child walking beside him, hand in his own. They had been walking in silence for a good ten minutes, heading to the town's market. "Do you think 'Suma will be happy to see me?" Kakashi's brows furrowed as he stopped walking, kneeling so the two were facing one another. "He didn't seem happy yesterday," the boy continued, "did I do something wrong?" Kakashi was quite certain his heart shattered in his chest.

"Asuma will be very happy to see you, Naruto. He loves you, and was only sad you couldn't come live with him instead."

"Why can't I live with Big Brother?"

Kakashi wasn't entirely sure how to answer. Sure, the boy seemed more intelligent than what he had previously been told, in fact he would wager the boy's intelligence was above average thanks to the Kyuubi, but there was no way a child could understand the complexity of the Council or role of the Hokage. "It's very complicated," he settled for instead, and though he could tell Naruto didn't want to settle for that answer, the boy let it go. Not because he wanted to, but because whatever words he had prepared to say were replaced by a sharp squeal when he was suddenly hoisted up and deposited on Kakashi's shoulders. Blue eyes, comically wide, and tiny fingers grasping at the spiked silver hair of his guardian, it took all of five seconds before the boy began to laugh, lips finally twisted into a bright smile. He continued to cackle and grin as they walked, arms spread wide to feel the breeze as they walked, balancing only with the help of Kakashi steadying his legs.

"Kakashi," a dull voice rippled from his left. Dark eyes rose to gaze into those of Shikaku Nara; the copy-cat didn't bother feeling embarrassed about the very domestic scene that he and Naruto gave off, what with the boy still giggling atop his shoulders, because a boy, maybe a year or so younger than Naruto, was on the other man's shoulders.

"Shikaku," Kakashi tipped his head in greeting as the man fell into step with him "What brings you out this early," he cast the man a knowing look that had the other grumbling, hold tightening on his own son's legs to keep him steady. The children stared at one another, one with curiosity the other with a wariness beyond his years. For a moment, Kakashi wondered if he should introduce them, but then Naruto shoved his tiny hand forward to the Nara, blue eyes dancing happily. 

"I'm Naruto! You have a Pineapple-head!" Kakashi choked on a breath, struggling to contain his laughter as his gaze moved to the elder Nara who seemed equally amused by the uptwitch of his lips.

"Shikamaru," the Nara boy returned warily, blinking at the offered hand before slowly shaking it. "You're loud." Naruto's head bobbed in agreement as the two boys began to chatter -- well, Naruto began while Shikamaru just scrunched his nose up, furrowed his brows, and bobbed his head a few times, confused by the excitement radiating from the other. The two Shinobi and their wards neared the shopping district, Kakashi instinctively slowing his pace and Shikaku doing the same to match his companion. Asuma's words rattled in Kakashi's brain, reminding him over and over to not allow the boy out of his sights. 

He didn't expect Shikaku to stick around, but before he could ask about it, the Nara just grunted about his wife forcing him to buy their son a new set of clothes to replace the ones they had ruined during a heated match of Shogi that resulted in a heap of burning tea to land on the younger's lap. Kakashi did his best not to laugh and lead the way into the first store, hands gripping Naruto's calves just a bit tighter when the store owner cast him a sneering scowl. He couldn't understand the unwarranted hatred radiating from the civilian -- he wasn't the one on the front lines that night not so very long ago, the night where his mentor gave his life to protect his village, the night where he unwittingly condemned his son to live in hatred and torment. With a sigh, the two men went about their shopping; at some point, both Naruto and Shikamaru had managed to wiggle their way off the shoulders and were walkinh together between the two Shinobi's.

"Ne, ne, Shika-kun!" The blonde's excitement was unparalleled as he held up an orange shirt with black around the sleeves. "Whaddya think? Awesome, right!" The Nara clearly did not share his new friend's excitement for the shirt, but said nothing to counter the claim. "Ne, Kash!" Can I get this one?" Naruto had barely waited a second after speaking to Shikamaru to turn to his Guardian, eyes wide with joy. 

Kakashi agreed with the Nara on the dislike for the shirt, but still he kneeled and nodded, "if you want, but remember -- Asuma said one thing in Orange." Naruto scrunched his face up in concentration, debating on if the shirt was awesome enough to be his one Orange Item. 

"You're handling him well" Shikaku rumbled as he stood, causing Kakashi to pull his eyes from the boy. He shrugged, stuffing his hands back into his pockets, thankful for the mask that hid the flushing of his cheeks. 

He glanced around the shop, at the other patrons and then the store owner. It wasn't that he thought he was doing poorly with the boy, and it was hard not to grow attatched to him the more the boy grinned and laughed and relaxed. He turned his gaze back to where Naruto was. Only, Naruto wasnt there. His eye widened, head snapping back and forth, eyes wide and heart thundering in his chest. Even the Nara seemed worried, worry only growing when he realized his son too had vanished. Neither man said anything as they began their search, trying desperately to remain calm yet neither remembering their years of training and experience as the panic gripped them. It's one thing to find a lost child -- another entirely to lose your own.


	4. Discontinued

Hey guys! So very late but very quick update on this! I have discontinued this version of the story and have started the process of rewriting! I began this story a few years back and my writing style has very much changed since then! As such, it's been really hard to get any new chapter going or figuring out where exactly I want this story to go! As such, I am rewriting it from the beginning! Thank you to those who have expressed such an interest in this fic, and I really hope you all go and read the new version too!


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